A Love Story Unfolds: Jake and Hayley’s Wedding at Colony Woodstock

We’re celebrating Love in the Hudson Valley with Jake Alexander and Hayley Moir. The Hudson Valley is one of the best places to get married, offering a variety of unique wedding venues such as historic mansions, rustic barns, eclectic industrial spaces, elegant event venues, and even farms. It’s no wonder that so many couples choose to tie the knot here. This brings us to the wedding story of Haley and Jake, who recently married at Colony Woodstock in Woodstock, NY. The couple faced challenges in finding the ideal venue that matched their vision.

“We had been through several searches on wedding websites and had repeatedly searched for ‘cool, warm, artsy, wedding venue’ on Google Maps and hoped for the best. Finally, Jake found the Colony. We reached out and visited–the rest is history.”

A wedding at Colony Woodstock is truly a unique experience. From the moment you and your guests enter this historic venue, you’ll feel the warm and inviting atmosphere of a genuine Catskills artists’ haven. Featuring an enchanting ambiance that exudes casual elegance and a bohemian vibe, Colony is the perfect wedding venue for creative couples who are musicians and entertainers, much like Hayley and Jake, of Apocalypse Noir. If you want to wow your guests with your performance, you’ll love that Colony’s stage and sound system is set up for world-class acts, letting you shine like the rock star you are on your special day.

“Neil and I are so very glad that Hayley and Jake found the Colony for their big celebration. The whole day was such a perfect use of the space– the joy and artistry that they and their guests brought to the occasion was truly something to behold. We wish them many long happy years together and hope to welcome them back again soon!” – Lex, Co-owner of Colony Woodstock

We caught up with Jake and Hayley for our “Love in the Valley” series to learn more about how they met, when they knew they were meant for each other and of course, their special day at Colony Woodstock.  

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you originally from, and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Hayley Moir: I’m from Port Jefferson, NY, and Jake is from Uncasville, CT. We currently live in Washington Heights in Manhattan. 

How did you both meet?

Hayley Moir: I was a senior at Emerson College in Boston and was asked to perform in a concert produced by a friend who had recently graduated. After I finished performing, this friend introduced me to Jake. 

Jake Alexander: I recently graduated from Boston College and worked a few jobs while living in Boston. One of those jobs was at a theatre company. In January 2015, s co-worker gave me a ticket to a cabaret performance at the ART in Cambridge. I went, and Hayley was the first performer of the night. I turned to my friend and said, “I’d like to meet her, please.” 

What was your first impression?

Hayley: My brain was so focused on my “end of college” experience that I did not expect to meet anyone. And when I met Jake, I honestly thought, “Who is this guy? Where did he come from? Why does he like me so much?”

Jake: I was smitten from the moment she opened her mouth to sing. After the performance, I forced our mutual friend to introduce us, and I spent the rest of the night trying to get her to go out with me. I asked Hayley if I could buy her a drink, and she said yes and ordered a Tom Collins. I had a moment’s pause because I knew that was an expensive drink at the space, and I thought, “Oh, she’s just trying to get me to buy her expensive drinks.” Then, she didn’t really drink it. 

Hayley: In reality, I was on cold medicine and only knew how to order one drink at a bar. But I agreed to get coffee with him a few days later. I was in tech for a play at the time and could only meet up with Jake before our dress rehearsals. I was surprised when he agreed to meet me at 7AM for our first date. 

Jake: I was really smitten. 

When did you know they were “the one.”

Jake: We had been dating for a few months, and I was aware there was a ticking clock with Hayley graduating that May. She was going to move back to Long Island to her hometown, and I didn’t know if we were going to stay together. One night I was out with a friend having drinks, and he asked me if I wanted to move to NYC with him. I immediately drunkenly called Hayley to say, “We don’t have to break up!” I think I knew way before that, but that’s what I would say. 

Hayley: It would be easy for me to pick a moment from early on in our relationship because I do think I knew then. But I’d have to say after a very dramatic six weeks of being broken up in NYC back in the fall of 2016, Jake and I agreed to meet up, and when I saw him, that’s when I knew. 

What drew you to the Hudson Valley for your wedding?

Hayley: We knew we wanted to get married in the fall, and coming to the Hudson Valley for day trips or long weekends is something we enjoy doing. 

Jake: Also, we looked at spots in Connecticut and Long Island to make it easier for our families, but we were honestly getting priced out and couldn’t find a spot we liked, so we said that everyone would have to travel and we could find a place we really loved. 

How did you hear about Colony Woodstock? 

Hayley: We were struggling to find a venue that matched what we envisioned for our wedding. We had been through several searches on wedding websites and had repeatedly typed “cool, warm, artsy, wedding venue” into Google Maps and hoped for the best. Jake finally found Colony. We reached out and visited–the rest is history! We can’t gush enough about Laura Anson and the entire staff at Colony—they were super helpful in making the day, and the space feels just like “us.”

What did Colony Woodstock offer that other wedding venues didn’t? What made it so special for your wedding vibe?

Hayley: It was a building with a history that was romantic on its own. We also knew that food, drink, and entertainment were three key things we wanted to be excellent for our wedding. Meeting Laura was the final step in knowing this would be the perfect venue: she’s down to earth, flexible, hilarious, warm, and fully understood us and what we were going for.

Jake: It was a one-stop shop; they are a renowned music venue, restaurant, and bar. We knew we would be able to get all of the things we wanted in one venue. Colony was also always so welcoming—we would come up every couple of months to take another look or make other plans. Laura would always let us poke around, accommodate us if we wanted to see a show at night or give recommendations for what would work best. 

What do you each do work-wise? Laura mentioned you are in entertainment. 

Jake: Yes! Hayley is a Theatre Artist currently working in nightlife and performs with a group called Apocalypse Noir weekly in Hell’s Kitchen. I am a playwright and currently an academic advisor at NYU. 

Hayley—what inspired you to become an actor + what was your journey?

Hayley: I grew up in an extremely artistic family, with both my parents being music teachers. Music and theatre were things that came naturally to me and made me extremely happy. I pursued my degree in Musical Theatre from Emerson College. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to continue an artist’s life in NYC.

Jake—what inspired you to become a playwright + what was your journey?

Jake: I was an actor for several years after college. And I wasn’t very good. When the pandemic hit, I was sort of forced to re-evaluate what I wanted artistically and where my passion was. I took the opportunity to start writing (something that I had always dabbled in but never took seriously), and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve had some regional/small successes, and I’m excited about the rest of the future.

Did you perform at your wedding? 

Hayley: Yes! I performed with Apocalypse Noir during our afterparty, which was also held at Colony, but there was a vibe shift for sure!

Tell us more about Apocalypse Noir.

Hayley: Sure! Apocalypse Noir has been described as an “immersive gay cabaret…a theater kid’s LSD-laced dream” and a “high octane show with live vocals.” I would describe it as one of my favorite things to do with two of my best friends. Andrew Barret Cox founded the group and does all our arrangements and choreography, and Dani Lu—one of my favorite performers in the world. I do the show weekly in Hell’s Kitchen NYC at Balcon. I have known them both since I was 18, and our chemistry as a group is magic. We do a little bit of everything and push every boundary there is to push.

Tell us about the wedding, the vibe, the afterparty.

Jake: The wedding was, somehow, both intimate and a rager. We wanted to ensure our parties were small and the space felt cozy and simple. We opted against flowers and huge centerpieces, instead going for hurricane lanterns and postcards from some of our favorite cities. We had seating upstairs and downstairs, and the ceremony included a mindfulness meditation from our dear friend Alex Sanders. We had two officiants, Alex and our best friend, Tom Mezger; together, they created a lovely, hilarious, and special moment I’ll never forget. 

“The wedding was, somehow, both intimate and a rager” – Jake

Hayley: The vibe we were going for (and ultimately succeeded in curating) was a stew of romantic old Hollywood, antique and vintage elements, rock n’ roll, and a little whimsy but always grounded in honesty with a focus on celebrating our community. Something that was important to us was that every single person there felt lifted up, included, and encouraged to be unapologetically themselves. Our place cards had individualized handwritten notes for each person, and our dress code was “Comfortable, fun, funky, and hot as hell. Interpret that as you want, but here’s a challenge: try to outdo us.” All of those elements together created an energy that was free, open, and so joyful. 

“The vibe we were going for was a stew of romantic old Hollywood, antique and vintage elements, rock n’ roll, and a little whimsy,” Hayley

Jake: Our afterparty was the culmination of all these things: we have too many talented friends not to let them perform for us. Once we knew Apocalypse Noir would do a set, Hayley asked a bunch of other friends to do numbers that they had done in the past, and we loved it. We had “Death of a Bachelor” and “Gloria.” We had a mash-up of “360” by Charli XcX and “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. Andrew did his “Diana the Musical” mega-mix. It was the first time my father had ever watched a man “death-drop” before his very eyes, and it was a new core memory for me. 

What were your top five things to do in Woodstock for you and your guests the weekend of your wedding?

Jake: A lot of great food and just a scenic town to walk around to explore! Shoutout to Carly and the Tinker Street Tavern, where we had our welcome drinks on Friday night, for keeping the bonfire roaring and giving us a space with great live music to enjoy. Other hits were Bread Alone’s flagship store for coffee and breakfast; perusing around Modern Mythology; Catskill Mountain Pizza, where we made our rehearsal dinner; the Woodstock PUB for lunch and after-wedding debriefs the next day; and finally, Candlestock, with the world’s largest (maybe?) wax-drip candle. 

In what ways are you most alike? In what ways are you most different?

Jake: Our friends and family, and the importance of those relationships to us, is definitely something we have in common.

Hayley: Our values and the things we love are almost always in alignment. As far as our differences, I’d say the biggest ones are that I am a horror movie-loving vegetarian who is always parading around in platform shoes. Jake is an Aaron Sorkin-loving, chicken quesadilla-making writer—who is always “watching” Hayley parade around in those platform shoes. 

What was the most memorable moment of your wedding?

Hayley: From beginning to end, I can play the entire day over and over again in my head. The performances, the vows, and connecting with our loved ones are all moments I hold dear. However, I will say that we decided to have a “surprise ring bearer,“ and that is something I will never forget. We velcroed the box holding our rings to the bottom of one of the ceremony chairs before guests arrived. When it came to that time in our ceremony, our officiants  Alex + Tom explained that there was no ring bearer – yet – because it was one of them! Everyone frantically searched under their seats until Jake’s Great Uncle Joe found it under his chair. Remembering the laughter and applause and absurdity of that moment will always make me smile. 

Jake: The performance feels like an obvious answer–another was our vows. We both (unknowingly until the moment it was happening) wrote about haunted houses. I started my vows by describing Hayley and her effect on my life as a haunted house full of frights, freaks, and surprises around each corner. Famously, I had a panic attack at Horror Nights in Orlando a few years ago. Hayley vowed never to make me go into another haunted house only a few minutes later. That was a clear sign to everyone there how much we belonged together. The speeches were also so special: my two sisters gave a joint speech, as did Hayley’s bridal “cadets“ Michelle and Simone, two great friends from college. You can’t accurately describe to anyone how special it is to have those you love most talk about you and the love of your life. 

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CREDITS

Hair & Makeup by Sarah Hamaty @sarahhamaty
Photographer Jarron Childs @childs.takes.photos
Rings by KT Collection @ktcollection (in Manhattan)
DJ Brik Olson and Dinah Degené, @brikolson and @futuredeadwoman

WEDDINGS AT COLONY WOODSTOCK

Colony exudes the ambiance of a bygone era, offering your wedding a casual elegance unlike anywhere else. Exchange vows from our gorgeous grand stairway that spills into our ballroom, or live onstage as the rock stars you truly are. Plan your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and day-after Jazz Brunch in a setting that evokes the rustic beauty of the Catskills, hearkening to a nostalgic music and arts culture that took place long before the’ 60s—a Woodstock that celebrates love and the arts, sans tie-dye. Located in world-famous Woodstock, the Colony is just two hours north of NYC, a convenient one-hour drive from Albany International Airport or Stewart International Airport. Situated in the heart of the happening village, Colony is within walking distance of charming boutiques, cozy cafés, and stellar eateries, yet set back just enough to provide your event with ample privacy. 

Peruse the Colony Wedding Brochure HERE

Interested in planning a wedding at Colony Woodstock? Check out their WEDDING venue via Website | Inside+Out Spotlight

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Did You Know:

The Colony Hotel, now Colony Woodstock, opened in 1929 and was a stopover destination for travelers heading to the grand Overlook Mountain House (now a favorite hiking destination). Guests would dine at its fine restaurant, enjoy the sounds of big-band music and spend the night before making the arduous trip up the mountain. After many iterations and owners, the Colony existed as a hotel, restaurant, concert hall and cafe. Today, it’s a thriving and popular live music and wedding venue.

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Click HERE for more inspiring stories of LOVE in our “Love in the Valley” Series.